Twelve incidents of mob lynching were reported in the year 2024, resulting in 10 deaths: one Hindu, one Christian, and eight Muslims
Team Clarion
MUMBAI – Fifty-nine communal riots occurred in 2024, marking a sharp increase of 84% from 32 communal riots reported in 2023. Maharashtra witnessed the highest number of communal riots (12), followed by Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with seven each, according to a report.
Compiled by Irfan Engineer of the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS), the report is based on news items appearing in mainstream print media including The Indian Express, The Times of India, The Hindu, Sahafat, and Inquilab.
The report pointed out that Maharashtra emerged as a communal hotbed in the year 2024 with the highest number of communal riots and mob lynching incidents.
“These communal riots claimed 13 lives – three Hindus and ten Muslims. The majority of communal riots were triggered during religious festivals or processions, including Pran Pratishthan at Ayodhya Ram Mandir (four riots in January), Saraswati Puja immersions (seven), Ganesh festivals (four), and Bakri Eid (two). This data underscores how religious celebrations are increasingly exploited as triggers for communal tensions and political mobilisation,” said a statement from the CSSS on Tuesday.
According to the report, in addition to the communal riots, 12 incidents of mob lynching were reported in the year 2024, resulting in 10 deaths: one Hindu, one Christian, and eight Muslims. While this represents a decline from 21 mob lynching incidents recorded in the year 2023, the persistence of these attacks remains a matter of grave concern. Six of these lynchings were linked to cow vigilantism or accusations of cow slaughter. Other cases of lynching were on the pretext of interfaith relationships and assaults targeting Muslims over their religious identity. Geographically, Maharashtra accounted for three lynchings, while Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh each reported two incidents, and Karnataka recorded one.
“The data reveals a troubling trend: while mob lynching incidents decreased, communal riots as per reports in these five newspapers surged by nearly 84%. Together, these developments signify an escalation of communal tensions and the marginalisation of Muslims, further threatening the secular fabric of Indian society. The rise in the number of communal riots can be attributed to the general elections that were held in April/May 2024 and state assembly elections in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Haryana. Similarly, the intervention of the judiciary in calling upon the state to take action against mob lynching, especially after Hindus became victims, resulted in fewer incidents of mob lynching,” said the CSSS.
Based on its annual monitoring, the CSSS highlighted intensification and changes in trends of communal violence in India during 2024. The year saw a disturbing shift towards more institutionalised forms of violence, characterised primarily by attacks on places of worship and attempts by fringe Hindu right-wing groups to push for archaeological surveys of historic mosques and dargahs, including the Ajmer Sharif Dargah. These actions reflect a concerted effort to reshape India’s socio-political and cultural landscape.
The report also noted that this trend was accompanied by significant legislative changes, such as the introduction of the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand and amendments to the Waqf Board Act. Additionally, the use of bulldozers to demolish properties owned by Muslims without due legal process continued unabated from 2023, symbolising state power being wielded disproportionately against the Muslim community. Bulldozers in the years 2023 and 2024 have become synonymous with “collective punishment” meted out to the Muslims. Ironically, bulldozers are used to punish Muslims when they are victims of the same communal riots. Furthermore, an increase in communal riots, particularly during religious festivals, has heightened concerns about the erosion of India’s secular and composite cultural fabric, the report said.
